X-ray applicator



Feb; 17, 1948. -J w, w soN I 2,436,279

X-RAY APPLIcAToR Filed Aug. 20, 1946 INVENTOR.

A 770R: Y

Patented Feb. 17, 1948 UNITED ApplicationAngilst 20, V

.1 (CL ii-9: 9?!

M in en i n elate broadly o K re s stems and mo e pa ticularly to ani mproved .cons rut: on o p i or, for Xrray e u pment- 9 o obi c o m .i yen io stonrovide a construction of improvedapplicator for Xer ye u pment for onfi in r Ki ty emanations'to a desired areainthe-treatment of various' skin diseases, lesions, tissue, tumors, cancers, etc.

Another object of my invention is to provide a opened to permitsthe viewingand the centering .of theeapplicator on the lesion inlthe process ;of

preparing the patient for. treatment. i

Still another object of my inventionis to provide a construction of applicator for X'rays comprisingia metallic tubular shieldorbarrier having spirally arrangedvvviewin slots formed-therein and closable by an adjustable collar andshield or barrier to permit the "viewing-of theilesion when the acollarisv raised, to one limiting lposition and to complete .the radiation shielding when usted to the opposite limiting pd v the collar isadj sition.

'Other and-further objects of myinvention reside in the construction ,of applicator vtor X-rays 1 as set forth more fully in the specification-hereinafter following by reference to the .accompany-' ingsdrawingsin which: i

Figure 1..shows the -X-ray applicator of my invention. mounted imposition. with respect to the 1 v casing of. the X-raytube suitably susp'endedon a balanced supportingrmechanismfor -movement over an operating table :tothe desired position on the body of the patient to be trea tednFigLIQ .is an enlarged cross. sectional view taken through-i.

the applicator and illustratingrthe rpositionzotith'e adjustable metallic shield or: barrier raised with a respect to the aperturedsapplicator. for permitting ,the viewingiof thelesions through the applicator while the applicator is being adjusted in position. with respect to the patient; Fig. :3 is a wiew'of the. applicator with the adjustable collarv or shield lowered to position covering the viewing apertures :in the applicator. and preventing undesired or uncontrolled radiationfiofnthe X-rays'; Fig". -11;

1946;:Ser1al No. 691,838

s a ners est ye W? of I w t e ta le m tr n. un ov rin i walls of the applicator t I iewflins 'ofithe les on whe he Re erring t the v, lra inessi eta i e/fo ese char cter i-J desienatesth cas n of a X-ra tuhevyvhi h u o rtede yra talented a m m shamsmre resented ati z which e mi s th .tubeqasineto be moved to a des ed. 11 oreran-Voperating tablezior lo atineth par cur Ilar area :ofthe body ofthe patient-t b -t eatedjrrh X-ray tube ca ing"! is suspen d .froin th go ,;;balariced; aIm or; bra ket v by means o t e s pporting, member .3 whi h terminates a diametrically opposite sides of.;-the radiation aperture A of :the casing. iIhe radiation aperture 4 is prqvided with a depending ,frame terminating in laipair of inwardly :directed parallel xtending .railsJi and]. ,The railsfi andflserye as supsportslforiithe plate 8 which is detachab1y-slidab1e Jthereomand tis .yieldably 'maintained in position 'withrespect thereto ;by means of. fiat spring mem- .'bersZ9;andel.0'. .Thefilatispring members-,9 and 10' are; interposed between the. interior vof the top of the frame 5 immediateIybeIOW the'X-rayradi- "ation apeltureid land oontinuouslyiurge the trans lversely sshiitabl' metal -iplate; 8" into s liding'en- 135 gagemen't l'with the .para'll'eltextending raiisxfiand '21, facilitating"insertion. and removalof the metal plate'a8 while maintaining a light tight andX-ra'y radiation :tightijoint-ibetween'plate 8 and the jframeii; w .51 'Ihe" detachable metalplate 8 is centrally aperturedarid "screw threaded as fepres'entedatl'l forreceiving the cyl'ihdrical-X-ray shield or metallicapplicator tllbe flli fiI he cylindrical'applli :plate a. 1

town-he metallic applicator tubeor Xe-ray shield such properly selected openings.

and back toward the tube only.

- 3 I2 is provided with a plurality of spirally arranged apertures which I have represented at ll, 18, and i9, and 20. The spiral apertures are interconnected by solid spiral web portions represented at 2|, 22, 23, and 24, which are substantially of the same width as the width of the spirally arranged apertures. The spirally arranged apertures form viewing or sighting windows through which the lesion may be viewed as the applicator tube is adjusted in position preparatory to an X- ray treatment. During this adjustment and while anode-7b viewing the lesion through the apertures ll, 18,

l9, and 20, the X-ray shield or metallic collar i6 is maintained in an elevated position as represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. The shield l6, when in elevated position, is coincident with the solid portion (2a of the applicator tube l2 while when permitted to drop by gravity to the shielding position illustrated in Fig. 3, the shield entirely encloses the apertures l1, l8, l9 and and surrounds the area l2b, preventing loss by transverse radiation of the X-ray emanations indicated as directed through the applicator tube l2 by arrows 23 in Fig. 3. V

The metallic tube l2 constituting the applicator and the adjustable collar 16 constituting the applicator adjustable shield, each form barriers to the emanations of X-rays, transversely of the axis of the applicator i2. The tube [2 and collar l6 may be formed from brass or lead or other metal constituting a barrier or shield to X-rays. The tour spirally arranged slots or apertures ll, i8, I9 and 20, when uncovered by collar H5 in the position shown in Figs, 1, 2 and 4, permit a complete view of the area of skin to which the tube is applied. The spiral viewing slots are so arranged that no X-radiation can strike the patient, even though the secondary closure tube [6 is omitted. The rays originate at the focal point of the tube (5 inches above the lower opening of the applicator) and radiate downward over a roughly hemispherical area. All rays are stopped except those occupying space represented by'a cone whose base is equal to the lower opening of the applicator tube and whose apex is 5% inches vertically away. The rays thus approach the spiral slots I1, [8, I9 and 20 at such an acute angle that with appropriate thickness of the wall of the applicator tube they do not emerge but impinge on the lower edge of the spiral slot.

Thus none ofthe original X-rays emerge through Whenever X-rays are stopped by any material. secondary rays are produced. Such rays are soft and much less penetrating and powerful than the incident ray; when brass is used they ofier little if any danger to the patient. Such rays as these do emerge from these slots, but none are directed so as to strike the patient, but travel laterally To thoseiunfamiliar with X-ray physics, these raysmay be erroneously considered sufliciently dangerous to the operator to need protection. It is for this reason that the secondary sliding tube Hi to close the slots was designed. The operator should really afford himself much more than this protection since even the patient generates soft secondary X-rays while being treated. This sliding tube l6 also may be desirable when treating lesions within the mouth or in other concave areas of patients where some of the lateral radiation might beconsidered objectionable.

By a slight movement of the head of the attendant the entire area of skin inside the. end of cator can thus be quickly and accurately posi tioned. The long pitch or the spiral slots ll, l8, l9 and 20 around the tubes is such that no direct X-ray radiation takes place through the slots. The thickness of the tubes and the width of the web of the metallic tube l2 between the slots forms a direct metallic barrier to any such radiation. This has been tested photographically. A complete set of these applicators run from tubes of $41" to 3" in diameter for treating various sized lesions.

V I desire that it be understood that the prim ciples of my invention may be employed withi- "out the addition of the sliding or adjustable tubel6 for, as I have hereinbefore pointed out, it is not essential that the viewing apertures always be closed to eliminate excessive radiation.

upon a lesion, said shield having the wall thereof provided with spirally arranged apertures to form sighting openings for viewing the lesion and an adjustable collar constituting an X-ray shield for normally covering the sighting openings and longitudinally slidable on said tubular X-ray shield for uncovering the sighting opening for permitting the visual centering of said tubular X-ray shield upon the lesion.

2. An applicator for X-rays comprising a tubular shield for confining X-rays to a predetermined area, a multiplicity of spirally disposed apertures in the wall of said tubular shield, an-

X-ray shield collar slidable over said tubular shield and operative to normally cover said 45 spirally disposed apertures and movable to a position uncovering said apertures for permitting a view of .the lesion over'which said tubular shield is locatable.

3. An applicator for X-rays comprising a tubular shield for confining X-rays to a predetermined area, an enlarged flange on one end of said tubular shield, a supporting plate connected with the other end of said tubular shield, said tubular shield having a solid cyclindrical wall portion adjacent said supporting plate, and a spirally apertured cylindrical wall portion adjacent said enlarged flange and an X-ray shield collar slidable over said tubular shield and movable from a position covering the spirally apertured portion of said tubular shield to a position adjacent the solid portion of said tubular. shield for sighting the lesion over which said tubular shield may be centered through the spirally apertured portion of said tubular shield,

4. An applicator for X-rays comprising a tubular shield for confining X-rays to a predetermined area, a multiplicity of spirally disposed apertures in the wall of said tubular shield with vX-ray shielding webs therebetween, an X-ray 7o shield collar movable over said tubular shield and operative to normally cover the spirally disposed apertures in said tubular shield and movable to a position uncovering said apertures for permitting a view of the lesion over which said thetube l2, can be clearly viewed and the appli- 7s tubular shield is centered.

5. An applicator for X-rays comprising a tubular shield for confining X-rays to a predetermined area, a supporting plate on the upper end of said tubular shield, a flange on the lower end of said shield, the portion of said tubular shield adjacent said flange having an alternate solid and apertured wall section for providing viewing apertures interconnected by shielding webs and the portion of said tubular shield adjacent said supporting plate being solid, and an X-ray shield collar surrounding said tubular shield and operative to drop gravitationally to a position limited by said flange for covering said viewin apertures and movable to an elevated position limited by said supporting plate for uncovering said apertures for permitting the viewing of a lesion over which said tubular shield may be centered.

spirally apertured in a. multiplicity of positions around the tubular X-ray shield to permit lateral observation of a lesion while being treated with X-rays.

JOHN WALTER WILSON. 

